Chapter III
Lulu was awoken to the sound of someone screaming in the distance.
"Yuna!" She shouted. Everybody jumped out of bed and raced to the grass fields. Yuna's rod, Tidus's sword and Squall's Gunblade lay on the grass.
Wakka looked around. "They've been taken!"
************ Flashback
"Male aged 18 present in a car accident with five others. Bad head trauma, damage to his optic nerve and severe damage to his esophagus, he may have a broken leg and a few broken ribs, lets get him down to the emergency ward now!"
Squall slowly let his eyes open. Something had been poking him in the ribs. Oh please let it be Rinoa's pet chocobo trying to wake me…But unfortunately…it wasn't. It was a very skinny man with a pale tan. His straw hat sat unbalanced on his mat of gray hair. His eyes bulged out and he sat upright. " Yo Bubba! One's awake!"
This time, Squall took his attention over to a larger man sitting near a fire. It was then that he realized he was tied up and Yuna and Tidus were still unconscious next to him. He tried to move his hands, but it dawned on him that he was tied up. Yuna yawned beside him.
" Wha…?"
He looked her way and sent her a warning glance. She read his look immediately and sat stock-still. They didn't want them to know Yuna was awake. Squall looked back at the others. Tidus woke up this time. There was no hiding his sudden wakening.
" What the hell?! Hey!"
The guy, supposedly named 'Bubba' walked over to him.
" Good morning" He laughed. His ringing laugh seemed to echoed in Squall's ears. It was so unknown…like a bell gone wrong. Bubba shifted his gaze to Yuna, shrugged then headed back to the fire and continued eating. Squall prayed that maybe his luck could shift gear for once…
***
" Lu…where are we?"
" Wakka be quiet…I think I hear something…"
Lulu and Wakka both crouched down low. They peered into the darkness for any movement. Dimly, they could see a fire. The glow spread out across the overgrowth and onto the swamp, to their right. Slowly Wakka began to move forward. Lulu was reluctant, but followed soon after.
" Should we?" Lulu asked.
" Of course Lu! I bet that's them!"
* * *
Squall studied his surroundings. He had to find some way to distract them…He motioned over to Tidus. Once he got his attention, he immediately nodded and leaned up against a tree. He moved his back against the hard bark, hoping to cut the rope. It caught. Slowly, he began to rub the rope until it snapped. With his hands free he slowly crept up on the two criminals, thanks to his SeeD training. A tin was lying on the ground, full of hot red coals. When Squall got close enough, in one swift motion, he kicked the tin up, spraying the coal everywhere. The two men jumped up in front and hollowed in pain…trying in vain to get the red-hot pieces off them. Yuna jumped up and motioned to Squall He untied her and rushed over to Tidus. But…
Tidus was gone.
Yuna looked around them. " Tidus! Where are you!" Squall picked up the remnants of rope and began to tie the two men against a pole that had previously been part of their tent. Then…he heard something in the bushes. Yuna spun around, fear imminent in her eyes.
" Its okay it just us ya!" Wakka yelled. He walked out of the bushes slowly. Yuna ran into him, her arms spread. He caught her and hugged her bag. " Its okay…" Slowly Lulu came out too. She walked over to Squall and lifted her arms.
" Sleep!" The two men fell still. Yuna looked up Wakka. " Tidus, he's gone! Did you see him?" she asked.
Lulu and Wakka both shook their heads. " Lets go back to see Kimahri, he's just over in the forest a few minutes away, we'll see if he's there" Yuna nodded slowly and walked over to Squall. " Thanks…you were really brave back there" He nodded solemnly and started walking into the forest.
" Do you think he's okay?" Yuna asked. Lulu shrugged, " I'm not sure" They all walked in after him. Soon they all arrived with Kimahri. " Kimahri, did you see Tidus at all?" Kimahri shook his head and raised his spear. " Find. Now"
They all agreed and returned to the campsite with the men still asleep.
" Okay, Squall, Yuna and Kimahri go together and Lu and I will go together…oh! Here" He passed Yuna her staff and Squall his gun blade. " Okay, Lu lets go south and you guys go north, but don't go too deep. After 15 minutes come back here" They all agreed again and set off.
* * *
Yuna jumped over the fallen log. She made sure she didn't get her skirt caught. Carefully, she looked behind at Squall. She had noticed he seemed a bit…distant. She slowed down to let him catch up to her.
" Squall. Are you feeling okay?"
He shook his head.
She glanced down. " You don't know much about this pace and it might not help to tell you or make you feel better…but I feel that you should know a little. Your probably not from Spira…are you?"
Again, he shook his head.
" Well…Spira is not the best world. We're plagued by Sin. Sin is an evil entity that kills our people and destroys our homes. The only way to kill it…is do perform a final summoning. I'm a summoner. So I can do that. That's why I'm on this pilgrimage"
A sharp pain shot through his head. He placed a hand to his forehead and cringed in pain. Slowly he let himself fall on his knees.
" And the only way to do…. Squall!"
His wolrd faded to black.
~Dream~
Squall please wake up.
" How…"
Just try to visualize us
" Us…who are you?"
You don't know?…have you forgotten me…
" Just please tell me!"
You promised you would never forget…
"…Rinoa?"
You promised…
"Rinoa!"
You forgot…
p.